Don't Forget to Write: A Novel

It is August, and Freddy’s wedding announcement has appeared in the paper. Lillian will be arriving in a week now that she has sold her mother’s house. Marilyn asks Ada about their arrangement. Ada expects that she and Lillian will live together for the rest of their lives. If Ada ever retires, she will go to Key West, where nobody knows her. Marilyn does not know why she would want anonymity. She once again refuses to talk about being in love, saying only that “love alone won’t always make a good marriage” (252).

There is a knock at the door. Marilyn expects to find Lillian’s luggage, but instead, she finds Daniel Schwartz holding a bouquet of flowers. Marilyn does not want to talk to Daniel, but Ada likes him immediately. She invites him into the living room, where he says that he still has strong feelings for Marilyn. He is not here to propose, but he would like to take Marilyn on a date and get to know her better. Marilyn tries to turn him down, but Ada insists that she go out with him. She believes that Daniel will be a good match for Marilyn.